Piracy becoming a monster of a problem

A copy of the The Hulk, the $US150 million ($A226 million) film starring Eric Bana, made its way onto illicit file-sharing networks a week before its US theatrical release, highlighting a problem facing the movie industry - piracy by insiders.

It appears the movie was pirated by a worker at an advertising agency involved with its promotion. According to a new study published by AT&T Labs, the prime source of unauthorised copies of new movies on file-sharing networks appears to be movie industry insiders, not consumers.

Nearly 80 per cent of some 300 copies of popular movies found by the researchers on online file-sharing networks "appeared to have been leaked by industry insiders", suggesting that consumer DVD copying represents a relatively minor factor. "Our conclusion is that the distributors really need to take a hard look at their own internal processes" before taking measures that might hamstring consumers' technologies and rights, said Lorrie Cranor, a researcher at AT&T Labs and lead author of the study. - New York Times

Privacy commissioner ready to hand over post

Australia's privacy commissioner, Malcolm Crompton, will not seek to renew his five-year term when it expires next April. He said it was time for someone with a different perspective to lead the debate on privacy rights.

"Where you have a constantly evolving area of law, the regulator has a role (and) society needs a range of perspectives," Crompton said. "I will have had five years and it is time to go."

Crompton said the ideal candidate should have a "strong character" rather than just a law degree.

He ranks the establishment and awareness of a culture of privacy as his office's greatest achievement. He was involved in the crafting and introduction of privacy laws in the private sector, commissioned research on privacy and held Australia's first conference on privacy. - Nathan Cochrane

Cost stymies broadband appeal

Cost is the overwhelming factor affecting customer enjoyment of broadband internet services, according to a report from the Australian Consumers' Association Computer Choice magazine. The magazine reported common selling points such as speed and a permanent connection to the net were less important. That contrasts with previous surveys where technical factors were cited as most influential, representing a shift in the customer base from technically savvy early adopters to a mass market driven by cost.

Those who chose an ISP on a personal recommendation were more satisfied than those who chose their provider in order to bundle internet access with their telephone or pay TV services. "Customers of larger ISPs also tend to be less satisfied than people using smaller providers."

Broadband customers are overall less satisfied with their internet access than those who use the slower dial-up modem connections, Computer Choice researchers concluded. - Nathan Cochrane